Starting gate



Oct. 14, 1952 w. E. CHRIST 2,613,639

STARTING GATE Filed July 16, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET l IG. l. 7

n y T W 3 4 FRG? 1N ENTolg.

Oct. 14, 1952 2,613,639

W. E. CHRIST STARTING GATE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 FIGB.

Filed July 16, 1947 FIGB. /9 9 Patented Oct. 14, 1.95.2

UNITED STATESy iFA'l'ENT OFFICE 2,613,633y 'l STARTING Gars William E. ,Christ Hempstead, N. Y. application Jiu-y 16,1947, serial No. 761,359

5 claims. (c1. 11e- 155) v i My invention relates to starting gates, so called, for starting animal races, and especially to starting gates for horse races. l

Customarily such gates comprise a number oi' stalls or boxes, one for each animal; Each stall or box has one or two doors for closingits forward end while the animals are being assembled in the stalls. The doors are opened by springs when released electromagnetically for starting a race. Heretofore various arrangements have been devised for holding the doors closed against their springs and releasing them electromagneticaliy. Some of these arrangements add inaterially to the natural inertia of the doors. Others involve some mechanical Vdiiiicultles in holding the doors closed against the lunging of horses against the doors, or impose limitations on the design ci the gates. Y

Speaking generally1 my invention provides an improved arrangement in these and other respects.

Briefly it contemplates doors hinged adjacent vertical edges, in this respect being in accordance with present practices` in'horse racing, but with the door holding and electromagnetic releasing mechanism disposed at the partitions which form the stalls of the gate and acting on the doors at their hinged edges and well below the` tops of the doors.

The accompanying preferred form of my present invention and also one of the variations to which it is subject. Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective broken view of a starting gate of the type to which my l invention is readily applicable, its stall doors being shown open. Fig. 2 is a front elevation at a pair of its doors with the preferred form of my invention applied to them, the doors being shown closed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the front end of jacent door shown closed in full lines, and shown open in broken lines. Fig. 4 is a section slight- 1y above and looking down on the bottom section or portion of one of the partitions. Fig. 5 is an isometric projection `of the holding and releasing mechanism and door of FigfB. lFig. 6 is an elevation, partly in section, of the sarne mechanism. Fig. 7 is a diagram of convenient form of electrical circuit for the controlling electromagnets. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic illustration of the variation referred to.`

Inthe starting gate illustrated an overhead structure I is mounted onwheels 2 for ready movement about the race course or track. Depending from the overhead structure, twov rows ydrawings illustrate the .v

one or' the partitions with the adengage with keepers 24 on 2. oi posts 3 and il support the partitions that divide the gate structure into stalls. Each partition comprises principally a panel or panels 5.

with screening ii above, between the posts 3 and' il of each pair, a lower horizontal section 1 which extends forwardly of the posts d and rearwardly of the posts screening 8 supported by the local post il, horizontal beams Sl and lil projecting forwardly of the post ll and a vertical il vat the ends o'r Sl and iii, and a panel or pair of panels l2 resting on the lower section l and engaging the local or adjacent post l and, say`,'th`e horizontal beam iii. Another panel, not show-n, may extend rearwardly for each post 3 (see Fig. l). Customarily the 'various panels or the par titions, as well as the lower horizontal section l,"

are covered with pads as somewhat indicated in Fig. l. Customarily also the rear end .of each stall is closeable by a pair of manually operable doors i3; these may be hinged to the partition structures or posts 3, in 'a conventional manner, for example. f Y v rhe forward end ci each stall is cioseable by two hinged doors iii and il, each consisting .of

a framework of metal bars carrying. screening.

The vertical side bar i8 of the framework of each of the doors servesy as its hinge pin, this side bar being extended above the top of its door so as to enter a bearing in a head i9 on the horizontal beam 9 of the adjacent partition, and being extended below the bottom of its door so as to enter a bearing in the top of the horizontal section l ci the same partition (Figs. 2, 3 ando). Each door is opened (when released for opening) by a spring 2@ attached at one end to an arm 2l projecting from the bar i8 of the door-and attached at'its opposite `end to the adjacent post l (Figs. 2, 3 and 4). Latches 22, hinged at 23 .to the tops of the horizontal partition sections,V the doors IB and .il to latch the doors open and prevent reboundlon opening; springs' 25 hold the latches yieldingly in latching positions (Fig. 4). -ln order to give additional support to the hinge pins it' of the doors-in the regions where the strains o"I holdn ing the doors closed come on the doorsthe hori.- zontal beams ilcarry cross bars 2t which have bearings or loops at their ends embracingV the hinge pins; to the saine end, another horizontal beam .28 at each partition,.also` mounted on and extending forwardly from the localppost Lalso has a similar Acrossbar 25 and beaningscr loops for the adjacent hinge pins it (TEgs.` 2 and 5;)

When the forward endl of each stall is closed by a single door alone, usually every door will be provided with an individual mechanism for holding the door closed against its spring or springs, and for electromagnetically releasing it for opening by its spring or springs. Likewise an individual holding and releasing mechanism can be provided for each door when two doors are used at the forward end of each stall as in the present instance. With the present type of holding and releasing mechanism this is not necessary however, but one holding and electromagnetic mechanism will serve for two or more doors, and in particular one such mechanism is suliicient for each stall regardless of whether one or two doors are used at the forward end of each stall. This is the arrangement adopted in the present instance. Each door I6 is controlled bya holding and releasing mechanism directly, and this door is arranged to overlap its companion door I1 when both are in closed position. To the latter end each door I6 has a plate 21 at its swinging edge that extends over the swinging edge of its companion I1 when both are closed (Fig. 2).

The starting gate construction as thus described is representative of the type of gate to which my invention is applicable readily. My invention is not limited to it however.

According to my invention as illustrated in Figs. 2 to 6, an arm 35 is extended from the hinge of each door I6 and toward the opposite side of the hinge from the body of the door; vertically, the arm is located below the top of the door, and usually in the lower half of the door (Fig. 2). At the partition of the gate adjacent the hinged edge of each door I6, a latch 36 is hinged at 31a to a part Qf the fixed structure of the gate; conveniently it is hinged to a bracket formed by the horizontal beams I and 28 and an interposed part 38. Each latch is so located that it can engage the adjacent arm 35 to latch its door in closed position against the pull of the springs of the door and its companion door I1. As it were, each arm is a keeper for its latch 36. An armature 31 is mounted on each latch 36; as illustrated each armature 3l may be the latch itself or an integral part of the latch structure. An electromagnet is provided to hold each door in door-closed position (Fig. 5); preferably each electromagnet is carried in a box 39 to protect it against the elements, and each is mounted on the same bracket, I0, 28, 38 as its armature. Each keeper 35 engages the hook of its latch out of line with the latch hinge as it were, so that when the electromagnet is deenergized and thus frees its armature momentarily, the thrust of the keeper on the latch hook under the pull of the door springs throws the latch to door releasing position (Fig. 6). A short length of round bar 40 can be fastened to the keeper 35 if desired, to provide the keeper face with an inclined surface to engage the latch hook. Each electromagnet, when energized, by a ow of current through its coil or coils, is energized sufficiently to hold the latch in door-closed position, but preferably not Sufliciently to pull its armature from door-released position (dotted line position in Fig. 6) to door-holding position (full line position in Fig. 6). In order to fasten the keepers 35 to their doors securely and give each door suflicient strength to resist the strains thrown on the adjacent parts of the doors I6 by the lunging of horses against the doors, I preferably secure each keeper 35 not only to the adjacent hinge pin I8, but also I extend it along a cross member 4I of the framework of the door and secure it for some distance along such a cross member. For example the cross member 4I may be a member ex tending from the hinge pin or hinge bar I8 to the parallel bar at the swinging edge of the door and secured to both.

The various electromagnets 39 of the gate can be connected to a source 42 of electrical current as shown in Fig. 7 for example. That is to say, all may be connected in parallel across the source 42 and in series with a switch 43 located at the starters station. In addition a switch 44 may be provided individual for and in series with each electromagnet 39; each of these switches 44 may be located at a convenient place near the gate or gates which it controls respectively, say within the boxes containing the respective electromagnets. The switches 44 permit the starters assistants to open the door or doors of any stall when necessary. Preferably all the switches 43 and 44 are self-closing and normally closed.

Assuming that the doors at the forward ends of the stalls are open and that the switches 43 and 44 are closed, and that all latches are in the dotted line position in Fig. 6, a cycle of the operation at the gate doors is as follows: The doors I6 and I'I are closed by an attendant or attendants releasing the rebound latches 22, and swinging the two doors of a stall to their closed positions (with the plate 21 of door I6 overlapping the swinging edge of door I1, Fig. 2), and lifting the armature 31 of the respective door I6 to its magnet. This engages the latch 36 of that pair of doors with its keeper 35, and the associated magnet 39, being energized, then continues to hold the latch in its door-closed position, and accordingly the doors of this pair remain closed. Each pair of doors is closed in that manner. Should it become necessary to open any pair of doors before the race is started, the attendant does so by opening the corresponding switch 44 momentarily. When the doors of all the stalls to contain or containing horses have been closed and the horses have been assembled in the stalls and are ready, the starter starts the race by opening his switch 43 momentarily. This deenergizes all the magnets 38 momentarily, releasing all the latches 36 simultaneously and accordingly all the doors swing open simultaneously under the pull of their springs 20. As they swing to fully open positions, rebound is prevented by the latches 22 as described. As soon as the starter has started a race, he releases his switch 43 and thus permits it to close. This again energizes the magnets 39 and thus completes the cycle.

It is not necessary however that the latches be hinged latches, or that the latches be mounted on partitions and the keepers on the doors, or that the armatures be mounted on or with the latches, or that the latches and keepers be adjacent the doors. Fig. 8 illustrates very diagrammatically a form of the underlying invention which illus,- trates such variations. In this arrangement a pitman 60 is hinged to each door I 6 to be controlled by it. Each pitman extends rearwardly from its door. For example, it may extend into the space between the respectively adjacent partition panels I2 where the remainder of the mechanism will be protected from the elements. At its rear end each pitman 60 is hinged to a bar 6I that is mounted in and guided for reciprocation by a guide 62 that is carried at the partition within or near which it is located. For example, each guide 62 may be carried by a bracket similar to brackets I Il, 28, 38 of Fig. 6 attached to the adjacent post 4. Each bar 6I carries a latch 63 slidable transversely of the bar. As the door spring 20 opens a door (movement in the direction of the arrow 64 in Fig. 8) its pitman 60 draws its bar 6l to the left of course. One end of each latch 63 is inclined, and a similarly inclined keeper 65 is mounted on some portion of the fixed structure in such a place as to engage each latch incline when the doors are open. Springs 66 on the bars press the latches 63 toward the keepers 65, but not so strongly as to prevent the latches overriding the keepers under the pull of the door springs 20, as indicated by the broken line position of a latch in Fig. 8. At each latch an armature 'H mounted to slide in ways 61 also carried by fixed structure, has an overhang 68 to engage in a notch in its related latch. Also for each armature 7l there is an electromagnet 89, which also is mounted on an adjacent fixed structure. When an armature is near or engaged with its electromagnet and the latter is energized, the armature prevents its latch from rising to override its keeper 65, and accordingly holds the door closed. Once an armature 7l and its overhang are moved by its latch however, on deenergization of its electromagnet E9, a friction spring or pawl 'l0 holds the armature and its overhang in the displaced position yieldingly, but sufficiently positively to prevent their return movement by a subsequent energization of the electromagnet. The keepers, armatures and electromagnets may be mounted on the same brackets as carry the bar guides 62 for example. The various electromagnets of the arrangement can be connected to a source of current supply and to switches in the same manner as the electromagnets 39 (Fig. 7)

It follows accordingly that when a door I6 is closed, with the arrangement of Fig. 8, the restraint of the related electromagnet S9 and its armature ll on the latch 53 coupled to the door (when the electromagnet is energized), causes this latch and its keeper 65 t0 hold the door closed against the tension of its spring 20 (and the tension of the spring or springs of any doors, such as I1 of the earlier figures, that may be coupled to the door I6 of Fig. 8). When an electromagnet 99 is deenergized momentarily however, the release of its armature substantially frees the associated latch 63 for movement farther into its bar 6I, and accordingly permits the spring 20 (or springs) to open the door and pull its bar to the left, the latch riding over the inclined face of its keeper. The opening of a door i6 permits any companion door I'l it may'have to open simultaneously of course. The sliding of the latch 63 within the bar will carry the armature 1i and its overhang 68 in the same direction of course, until the notch on the latch leaves the overhang; when this has occurred however, the friction spring or pawl 10 prevents the armature and its overhang from being drawn back toward the magnet 69 when the latter is energized again. When however, later, the door I6 is closed manually (and presumably its companion door l1 also if it has one) the associated bar 6| will be returned to the right by the pitman, its latch will be forced backwardly along the inclined face of its keeper by its spring 6B, and during this movement the end wall of the notch in the latch will strike the overhang 68 and carry the armature to a point within the control of the reenergized magnet 69. When the door has been fully closed again therefore, it will again be held closed by its latch and the cooperating keeper.

As will be evident from the foregoing, my invention is not limited to the details of construction and operation shown in the drawing and described above except as appears hereafter in the claims.

I claim:

1. A race starting gate having a stationary structure including substantially vertical partitions forming a plurality of stalls, at least one i substantially vertical door for closing the forward end of each of said stalls, each of said doors l5 having a vertical edge and a top, each of said ,doors being pivoted to said stationary structure of the gate adjacent said vertical edge of that door, at least one spring operatively connected to said doors and stationary structure to swing said doors to open positions, a latch and keeper for each of said doors, said latches to engage said keepers to hold the respective doors closed against said at least one spring, of each latch and keeper, at least one being mounted on said stationary structure of said gate substantially adjacent its respective door and the other being connected to its respective door adjacent said vertical edge of the door and below said top of the door for movement with the door, an armature operatively associated with each of said latches to control the positions of the respective latches relative to the keepers, and an electromagnet to control each of said armatures.

2. The subject matter of claim 1, characterized by the fact that said armature and electromagnet are mounted on said stationary structure of said gate.

3. The subject matter of claim 2, characterized by the fact that each of said keepers is connected to its door and the respectively cooperating latch is mounted on said stationary structure of said gate.

4. The subject matter of claim 2, characterized by the fact that each of said latches is con- 5 nected to its door and the respectively cooperating latch keeper is mounted on said stationary structure of said gate.

5. The subject matter of claim 2, characterized by the fact that each of said keepers is mounted on its respective door and projects from its door at said vertical edge thereof, and each latch is pivoted to said stationary structure of said gate.

WILLIAM E. CHRIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,312,895 Derby Aug. 12, 1919 1,940,027 Smith Dec. 19, 1933 2,171,365 Harding Aug. 29, 1939 B5 2,297,875 Cormier Oct 6, 1942 2,323,150 McMillan June 29, 1943 2,418,807 Whann et al Apr. 8, 1947 2,435,729 Whann et al Feb. 10, 1948 

